PBSC April - Anything Goes...Optional 'Use Ribbon or Twine'

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Use Ribbon or Twine'

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used my Penny Black 'Bunny Friends' stamp to make a set of five little gift tags to add to some Easter treat boxes for my family. I stamped the bunnies on to watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them apart so that I could use one bunny per tag. I made simple little boxes from papers from a pad by Folia Paper called 'Geometrie' using my We R Memory Keepers punchboard, and used strips of the same papers as a background for my bunnies on their tags.

And here they are attached to my little Easter treat boxes with some baker's twine:

I'm also entering these tags & boxes into the following challenges:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Easter
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Easter Cuties
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Spring Mood Board
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Spring
• Sparkles Forum - Easter
• Sweet Stampers - Easter or Spring

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - H & I are for?

It's time for a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge...Lynda is the host, and the themes are:

'H is for Hand Drawn'

&

'I is for Inside'

There are a couple of fab prizes on offer from Lynda for two lucky winners:

I made a set of four cards for the 'Hand Drawn' theme...each one featuring a slightly differently decorated Christmas tree. I started by masking a triangle/tree shape on watercolour paper using masking tape, then used watercolour paints to colour the 'tree' shapes. Once dry, I used a black gel pen to draw some decorations on the trees, then coloured them in using a gold gel pen. I added a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous), then doodled a simple border before adding the panels to some kraft card blanks.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

I can't remember the last time I decorated the inside of card...so I thought I'd do that for my 'Inside' card...although feel free to interpret the theme in any way you choose. I picked a couple of Penny Black stamps...one from the 'Joy to the World' set for the outside, and a little pup from the 'Cristmas Critters' set for the inside. I stamped directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured the images using watercolour pencils.

Here's the inside...the little pup along with my sentiment:

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Made in Minutes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Kraft')
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Less is More - One Layer Card No Sentiment (am hoping you just meant on the outside!)

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Circus Act Bookmark

I shared a bookmark a month or so ago, made using 'Everest Next?' by Penny Black, and that replaced a rather dog-eared one that I'd made back in 2012 using 'Circus Act' also by Penny Black. It had seen rather a lot of use over the last eight year, and although the bookmark part of it was beyond repair, the pile of dogs was still in good shape, so I carefully removed them and made a new background for them. The new one is very similar to the original, but I did use some different colours of Distress Inks. I started by smooshing some Distress Inks (Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon, Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean & Chipped Sapphire)  on to a piece of watercolour paper...I did this a couple of times, drying in between. I then stamped my Hobbycraft paw print background over the top using Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. I trimmed it down, rounded the corners, then inked around the edges using more Gathered Twigs ink before adding the pile of puppies on top.

And here it is being modelled by my current book:

Challenges for this bookmark:

• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Recycle (the dogs are recycled from this bookmark)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Make Your Own Background

Balloon Hedgie

I have a simple birthday card to share today, featuring a cute little Penny Black hedgie stamp from the 'Cheerful Critters' set. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I found a snippet of paper that perfectly matched his stripey hat (from the 'Prince Charming' pad by Recollections/Michaels), and added that to the bottom of a kraft card blank, then popped the hedgie running along the edge of the paper using 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts. 

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Men & Boys
• Always Fun - Birthday Wishes
• CAS on Fridays - Birthdays
• Fab 'N' Funky - Masculine
• Lil Red Wagon - Leftovers
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Shopping Our Stash - Happy Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Carol Singers!

I have another simple Christmas card to share today...this one features three of the critters from the Lili of the Valley 'Carol Singers' set. I coloured then using watercolour pencils, adding some Stickles to the snowy ground for a touch of sparkle, then matted the panel on to some red glitter card before adding it to my card balnk.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Xmas Pilgrims

I have a really simple Christmas card to share today...featuring an old Penny Black puppy stamp called 'Xmas Pilgrims'. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, along with a Lili of the Valley sentiment, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Along the Edge (Optional 'Cats & Dogs')
• Allsorts - Anything in the Animal Kingdom
• Crafter's Cafe - Animals
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Happy Mother's Day

Today I'm sharing my Mother's Day card. I used one of my current favourite stamps...'Sketched Flowers' by Simon Says Stamp', which I stamped on to watercolour paper using 'No line ink' from Ink on 3. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then added a heat embossed sentiment using WOW 'Metallic Rich Gold' embossing powder and stamps from the 'Everyday Messages' set by Happy Little Stampers. I distressed the edges a little, then added the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Friends - Ladies/Girls
• Creative Inspirations - Pretty Pastels
• Daring Cardmakers - Floral Focus
• My Time to Craft - Off the Edge
• Sweet Stampin' - Mothering Sunday

PBSC March - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Think Spring')...More Inspiration!

It's the third Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for some more inspiration for this month's Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Think Spring'

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I picked a cute kitty stamp...with a big bunch daffodils...called 'The Bestest!'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper...along with a sentiment from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers...then coloured this image using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Always Fun - Flowers
• Crafty Sentiments - Spring is Coming
• Incy Wincy - Spring Fling
• Penny Black & More - Spring Flowers
• Stamping Sensations - Spring Florals
• Use Your Stuff - Spring

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Snowy

I have another Christmas card to share today...featuring an old favourite stamp of mine...'Snowy' by Penny Black. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, and then again on to a snippet of spotty paper (from the 'Animal Antics' pad by First Edition). I added a little bit of colour and shading on both using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I simply popped him on my card blank using 3D foam pads above a Lili of the Valley sentiment.

Challenges for this card:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes or Christmas (Animals)
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Cutie Pie - Gorgeous Greens
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes

O' Christmas Tree

I have a Christmas card to share today...made using Distress Inks and a couple of Penny Black tree stamps. I started by making a watercolour background using 'Mowed Lawn' and 'Forest Moss' Distress Inks on some watercolour paper. I then stamped the trees over the top using more of the same inks...the big one is 'Before the Snow', and the smaller one is from the 'Wonder Collection' set. I added a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous), then distressed the edges slightly before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Card Throwdown - Green, Kraft & White
• Crafty Cardmakers - Green
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesday) - Green
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Top Hat Snowman

I have a simple Christmas card to share today...made using an old Lili of the Valley image ('Top Hat Snowman') that I rediscovered in my stash when I sorted through my stamps last month. I simply stamped the image on to a square of watercolour paper along with a Lili of the Valley sentiment, coloured the image using watercolou pencils, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen before adding the panel to a card blank using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - CAS
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes (Optional 'No Patterned Paper')
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational - Animals
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Tulips in a Vase

Today's card features a floral stamp by Woodware called simply 'Tulips in a Vase'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), then coloured it using watercolour paper. I distressed the edges a little before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthday - Flowers
• Crafty Sentiments - Add Flowers
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional 'Flowers')
• Penny Black & More - Spring Flowers
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Spring Florals

Cluck, Cluck, Cluck!

Today's card features a Penny Black chicken stamp called 'Cluck, Cluck, Cluck!'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment (from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers), then doodled a simple border using a black gel pen before adding the panel to a krcft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Things with Wings
• Animal Friends - Chickens
• My Time to Craft - Farmyard Animals
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Santa

I have a couple of simple Christmas cards to share today...made using a Woodware stamp called 'Huge Santa' and some snippets of papers from the 'Candy Cane' pad by Craftwork Cards. I started by stamping the 'Santa' on to a couple of kraft card blanks, then again on to all of my snippets of paper. I used a couple of different patterns for the lettering and trim on the hat, and a third design for the main part of the hat. Then all was left to do was to fussy cut everything, and glue all of the pieces down.

Challenges for these cards:

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Feature a Sentiment
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Carfty Friends - Anything Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

PBSC March - Anything Goes...Optional 'Think Spring'!

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Think Spring'

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went 'Spring', and have a used an old Penny Black daffodil stamp called 'Jonquil' that I bought recently in a charity shop...in fact it was buy one get one free on the woodmounted stamps, and I got this one for free when I bought another Penny Black stamp...'Everest Next?'...what a bargain! 

I stamped it on to watercolour paper using the watercolour technique...I inked it up with several Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Forest Moss and Mowed Lawn), then spritzed it with a little water before stamping. I added a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, before attaching the panel to my kraft card blank.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• CCEE Stampers - Floral Arrangement
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Flowers')
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional 'Flowers')
• Penny Black & More - Spring Flowers
• Stamping Sensations - Spring Florals

For more inspiration from my lovely DT members...including our three new members, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Hedgie Harmony

I have a simple card to share today, featuring one of the stamps from the 'Hedgie Harmony' set by Penny Black. I thought that the little hedgies trying to play the double bass would be perfect for the 'Big & Small' theme of the current Less is More challenge. I stamped it on the watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour paper. I doodled a simple border using a black gel pen, then added a sentiment from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - Your Favourite Technique (stamping and watercolouring)
• Incy Wincy - Hand Coloured Image
• Less is More - Big & Small

ABC Christmas Challenge - E, F & G are for?

We have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Carol is the host and the themes are:

'E is for Embossing'

'F is for Freebie'

&

'G is for Gold'

Carol has kindly donated a prize for the lucky winner of this challenge:

On my 'E is for Embossing' card, I used a stamp that I recently picked up in a charity shop...called 'Baubles Flourish' by Indigo Blu. I stamped it on to a navy card blank using Versamark ink, along with a sentiment made using words from the 'Everyday Messages' set by Happy Little Stampers, then heat embossed it all using 'High Heels' embossing glitter by WOW.

On my 'F is for Freebie' card, the 'freebie' element is some snowflake backing paper that came free with a craft magazine. I used it as a background for some sweet Penny Black hedgies from the 'Christmas Hugs' set. I tore a snippet of white card to make some snowy ground, then matted everything on to some silver glitter card.

On my 'G is for Gold' card, I dusted off an old Cuttlebug snowflake die, and cut a snowflake from some gold glitter card. I embossed a piece of white card using my Tim Holtz 'Falling Snow' folder for the background...heat embossing a Lili of the Valley sentiment along the bottom in gold. I matted it all on to some gold mirror card before adding it to my card blank.

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Die Cuts/Punches (Just the third card)
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Toadily Happy!

I have a simple little card to share today that features one of the frogs from the 'Toadily Happy' set by Penny Black. I stamped it on to a piece of watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from a little Rachelle Anne Miller (for Crafter's Companion) set called 'Soar!'. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then doodled a simple border using a black gel pen.

k. 

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Max White Space
• Crafty Friends - Animals/Birds
• Daring Cardmakers - Flying Leap
• Inkspirational - Leap
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Take a Leap

James - Butterflies

I recently spent a happy afternoon having a good sort through all of my stamps, re-discovering some old favourites, and even managing to find some that I was prepared to part with...they all got donated to the Big C charity, who have a couple of warehouse type shops in Norfolk that sell craft supplies (among a few other things). I always love having a rummage through all of the baskets of goodies...particularly the stamps...when I'm visiting my parents. I love it as you never know what you might find...last time I visited, I had really good luck, and found eight lovely stamps to bring home, including a couple of fab woodmounted Penny Blacks ('Everest Next?' and 'Jonquil'...that one will appear on my blog next Saturday), for the grand total of £1.50 - all of their woodmounted stamps are 'buy one get one free'! Chances are if you seen me mention any of the stamps I've used on my cards as 'charity shop finds', that's where I got them. 

Anyway, today's card features one of the stamps I 're-discovered' in my stash, an old Lili of the Valley stamp called 'James - Butterflies'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. I paired him with papers from a pad that I found at one of the Big C shops...'Addison' by K&Co. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The flowers are also very old...from Poppicrafts, and held in place using a BasicGrey brad.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Patterned Papers